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Monday, April 14, 2008

Lea Salonga sings 'There Is Music in You' from 'Cinderella'

The promised video. Enjoy it in its entirety, since the clips you saw on the TV news were mostly snippets. (What's with television and its inability to linger?) Sorry for the long shot--couldn't get nearer the stage with all those other cameras behind me. I was very near the musicians too, so their instruments blaring just inches away from me tended to drown out Lea. But you can still hear her clearly--that voice soars when it needs to. Especially when singing another sparkling, melodious Rodgers and Hammerstein song.

Her leading man in Cinderella, by the way, is not Paolo Montalban. Insert long face here for those of us who'd hoped for that dream cast. But director Bobby Garcia and Lea herself assure that the Prince they've cast is "dreammmmy!," and that he harmonized very well with Lea during his audition in New York. His name is Peter Saide, an Australian who's done Into The Woods, Chicago, Chess and Saturday Night Fever, among others. As you can see in the pic, he also looks every inch a prince. Can't wait to hear him sing "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful" (which Paolo sang to perfection in the TV version, incidentally).

There are two other Filipinos in the cast, but producer Marc Routh declined to reveal their names at this time pending contract negotiations. One of the two would be Lea's understudy. Who could the lucky girl be?!

Speaking of Marc Routh, he's a heavyweight Broadway producer, with some 90 musicals and plays in New York, London and Asia in his resume. Including--hold your breath now--The Producers, Hairspay, Gypsy, The Fantasticks, Little Shop of Horrors, Sweeney Todd, Company, Driving Miss Daisy, Smokey Joe's Cafe and Angels in America! Got to meet him late last year, and I have a great interview still waiting to be written up from that encounter. Within the next month or so, maybe--before Cinderella opens.

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